Patrol Bureau

The WWSO Operations Division Patrol Bureau consists of 16 Deputies and four Sergeants divided into four patrol squads. These squads provide public safety service 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Patrol Deputies are responsible for covering approximately 1,000 miles of county roads throughout the approximate 1,300 square miles of Walla Walla County. These Deputies respond to criminal, civil, and traffic calls for service, investigate crimes and traffic collisions, enforce laws, serve civil papers, and provide quality public service to our community.

Detective Bureau

The investigative branch of the WWSO is the Detective Bureau within Operations Division. It is supervised by a Detective Sergeant. The Major Crimes Squad (MCS) consists of two Detectives and is responsible for investigating major crimes within Walla Walla County. A future goal of the Sheriff’s Office is to also have a Special Enforcement Squad (SES) within the Detective Bureau which would proactively investigate gang and drug related criminal activity. The majority of criminal investigations are handled by Patrol Deputies.

Also assigned to the Detective Bureau are the School Resource Officer assigned to Walla Walla High School and the Crime Analyst Technician responsible for criminal analysis, crime statistics, crime trends, crime scene processing, and evidence control.

K-9 Unit

While we are authorized for two, the WWSO currently deploys one patrol K-9 team. The K-9 team is a valuable law enforcement tool. Re-establishing our K-9 program would not have been possible without the efforts of the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Foundation and generous donations from citizens. Our patrol K-9 was purchased with private donated funds via the Sheriff’s Foundation. We are very appreciative! Anyone interested in maintaining our K-9 teams and program is encouraged to contact the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Foundation at www.ww-sf.org. Thank you.

Marine Unit

The Marine Patrol Unit is responsible for patrolling the waters of Walla Walla County for the purpose of preventing crime, enforcing Boating Under the Influence (BUI) and applicable laws, and providing general water safety education and service. In addition, the Marine Patrol Unit is responsible for performing rescue operations for persons and vessels in distress, assisting other divisions and agencies as needed, maintaining buoys and navigational markers, investigating marine accidents and incidents, and removing objects from the water that present a hazard to vessels. Each summer the School Resource Officer returns to patrol duties and allows a patrol deputy to assume the duties of Marine Patrol Deputy. Partners for the Marine Patrol Deputy are extra-duty assignments for other WWSO personnel.

SWAT Team

The Walla Walla Regional SWAT team is a joint effort of the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office and the Walla Walla Police Department. Members of both agencies serve on the team as an ancillary duty to their primary law enforcement duties. The team employs two rescue vehicles, a Commando V-150S Diesel Armored Personnel Carrier and BAE Caiman Tactical Rescue Vehicle.

D.A.R.E.

This year millions of school children around the world will benefit from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). Developed by the Los Angeles Police Department, this highly acclaimed program gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. D.A.R.E. is a Deputy-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children in 5th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. Currently, the WWSO has one Deputy who teaches D.A.R.E. in local schools as an ancillary duty to his patrol duties.

Registered Sex Offender Coordinator

Reserve Deputies

Reserve Deputies are commissioned part-time volunteer peace officers. The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Reserve Deputy Program has been an invaluable part of the Sheriff’s Office for many years. These volunteers are dedicated, trained citizens who support and assist Sheriff’s Deputies and our community in many ways. While we are not currently accepting applications for Reserve Deputies, if you would like to be notified when another class is selected, you are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at sheriff@co.walla-walla.wa.us.

Search and Rescue

In Washington state, all Search and Rescue teams operate solely under the auspices of the county Sheriff. The Walla Walla County Sheriff Search and Rescue team is organized exclusively to meet their motto of “So That Others May Live.” Our SAR team provides assistance to the WWSO and other agencies involved in search and rescue operations according to RCW 38.52 and Chapter 118-04 WAC Emergency Worker Program. For more info, please visit http://wwcssar.org/.

Each year, the State of Washington Serarch and Rescue Volunteer Advisory Council selects one recipient for its “SAR County Award.” This award is presented to the county Search & Rescue team who has consistently provided outstanding service to their community. The award recognizes SAR programs which have excelled in developing new and innovative techniques, developed new SAR leaders, and developed outstanding SAR volunteers.

In granting this award, SARVAC President Bill Gillespie wrote, “it was a very easy decision for me to award the SAR County Award to Walla Walla County. Because it was exactly what the award was designed to recognize, a county working to maintain its program while it also grew and developed new concepts and ideas. It is also to recognize the willingness of your SAR team to come to the aid of its partner counties both in Washington and Oregon. It is the hope of SARVAC that other counties will strive to do what your county has done, grow, develop, and re-energize its SAR program. That can only be done if the great work being done in Walla Walla County is recognized and others are aware of it, which is the purpose of the award.”

Congratulations to the Walla Walla County Sheriff Search & Rescue team for being selected as the recipients for the 2012 Washington State SARVAC SAR County Award.